"Ok, but it depends what team are on duty"

When having my babies I consider my time in hospital on the ward to be part of the special experience. I was disappointed with my time on the ward this time because some of the staff did not seem to care, particularly in relation to a mother who has had a cesarean. One example; I could not physically lift my baby up and across, or move a lot, during the first night. A midwife said that my baby’s nappy needed checking and slung my packet of baby wipes on the bed at me and told me where the nappies were. I am not a lazy person and would rather do things myself instead of asking for help, but having had a c-section, which is major surgery, I could not physically do this, which I thought a midwife would have been sympathetic to as they deal with ladies every day in this situation. So, I said that I needed help and was looked at in disgust like I was being lazy, when I simply needed help. I found this upsetting.

I was left to lie in the same bed linen (and gown worn during surgery) that was dirty from where blood was spilt on it. I was not assisted with a shower or any kind of wash as previously experienced and as would be expected from other hospitals and also within surgical divisions. I felt like no-one cared because they wanted to get back to sitting at the midwife station and that I was a nuisance to them when I buzzed, which was once or twice a night.

There was only one midwife who genuinely seemed to care, and whom if it weren’t for her, my experience would have been a total disappointment and something to forget rather than look back at with fond memories.